The Army is set to celebrate 250 years with a parade that coincides with
Trump's birthday
[June 14, 2025]
By LOLITA C. BALDOR
WASHINGTON (AP) — The massive military parade that President Donald
Trump has long wanted is set to step off from the Lincoln Memorial on
Saturday evening, with tanks, bands and thousands of troops.
And the biggest question marks are whether it will be overshadowed or
delayed by either the weather in Washington or planned protests
elsewhere around the country.
Falling on Trump’s 79th birthday, the parade was added just a few weeks
ago to the Army’s long-planned 250th anniversary celebration. It has
triggered criticism for its price tag of up to $45 million and the
possibility that the lumbering tanks could tear up city streets. The
Army has taken a variety of steps to protect the streets, including
laying metal plates down along the route.
The daylong display of America’s Army comes as Trump has shown his
willingness to use his fighting forces in ways other U.S. presidents
have typically avoided, inviting an array of lawsuits and accusations
that he is politicizing the military.
He has deployed the California National Guard and U.S. Marines to
provide security during Los Angeles protests tied to immigration raids.
It marks the first time in 60 years that a president activated the
National Guard on federal orders inside a state without a governor’s
permission, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom has filed a lawsuit to stop
the deployments.
Earlier in the week, Trump raised eyebrows during a speech at Fort Bragg
when members of the 82nd Airborne Division were directed to stand behind
Trump and they booed and cheered during his incendiary remarks,
including condemnation of his predecessor, Joe Biden. There also was a
pop-up “Make America Great Again” merchandise stand nearby selling
souvenirs to troops in uniform.
The Defense Department has a doctrine that prohibits troops from
participating in political activity while in uniform. Members of
Congress and military leaders have expressed concerns about the
political displays during the speech at Fort Bragg.
Trump so far has shrugged off concerns about the parade cost, the rainy
forecast and the potential for protests.
“What a day it will be!!!” Trump wrote on his social media site, adding
later that he hoped the weather would cooperate but that if it doesn't,
“that brings you good luck. That’s OK too. Doesn’t matter. Doesn’t
affect the tanks at all. Doesn’t affect the soldiers. They’re used to
it. They’re tough. Smart.”
As for the protests, he warned that “they will be met with very big
force.”
The “No Kings” rallies planned in hundreds of cities nationwide are
meant to counter what organizers say are Trump’s plans to feed his ego
on his 79th birthday and Flag Day. No protests are scheduled to take
place in Washington, D.C., however, and officials have said they so far
have no indication of any security threat.
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Preparations continue on Constitution Avenue ahead of an upcoming
military parade commemorating the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary that
coincides with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday, Friday, June
13, 2025, in Washington (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
About 6 in 10 Americans say Saturday’s parade is “not a good use” of
government money, including the vast majority of people, 78%, who
neither approve nor disapprove of the parade overall, according to a
poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs
Research.
The parade will wind down Constitution Avenue, which is already
lined with security fencing and barriers. Army helicopters and
aircraft will fly above, and the march will be capped off by a
parachute jump, a concert featuring “God Bless the U.S.A.” singer
Lee Greenwood and fireworks.
With rain expected, there is a chance the parade could be
interrupted by thunderstorms.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly has said the march will go on
rain or shine. But it could be delayed if there is lightning, with
authorities quick to empty the expansive National Mall if it happens
during major events.
The parade fulfills Trump's expressed desire for a big parade that
he tried to get done in his first presidential term after seeing one
in France on Bastille Day in 2017. Trump said that after watching
the two-hour procession along the famed Champs-Élysées, he wanted an
even grander one on Pennsylvania Avenue.
The Army expects as many as 200,000 people could attend the festival
and parade. The festival will begin around 9:30 a.m. EDT and feature
fitness competitions, demonstrations, equipment displays, music and
a cake-cutting ceremony.
The parade is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. EDT, but parts of it —
including the horse-drawn caissons and other units — start at the
Pentagon, head over a bridge and meet up with some of the heavier
tanks and equipment. Officials did not want the more-than-60-ton
M1A1 Abrams tanks and Stryker vehicles crossing the bridge.
Timed down to the minute, the march will be divided into sections by
history — with equipment and troops in full dress from each period.
It will include a total of 6,169 soldiers and 128 Army tanks,
armored personnel carriers and artillery, while 62 aircraft fly
overhead.
At the end of the parade, Trump will swear in 250 new or reenlisting
troops, and the Army's Golden Knights parachute team will jump onto
the Mall. That will be followed by the concert and fireworks.
____
Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price and Tara Copp contributed
to this report.
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